Rickle-ton: Opener smashes 103 as SA begin with a bang

Karachi: Opening batter Ryan Rickelton struck a flawless maiden century before a clinical display by the bowlers as South Africa began their Champions Trophy campaign with a comprehensive 107-run win over Afghanistan here on Friday.

Rickleton smashed 103 off 106 balls with the help of seven fours and one six while captain Temba Bavuma (58 off 76 balls), Rassie van der Dussen (52 off 46 balls) and Aiden Markram (52 not out off 36 balls) scored half-centuries as South Africa posted 315/6 after opting to bat.

Rickleton’s ton was the tournament’s fifth in three day’s time and the third at the National Stadium here.

Chasing a big target of 316, Afghanistan couldn’t repeat their series-winning performance of late last year against South Africa when they won the series 2-1 in Sharjah.

They were bowled out for 208 in 43.3 overs with South Africa pacers Kagiso Rabada (3/36), Lungi Ngidi (2/56), Wiaan Mulder (2/36) and Marco Jansen (1/32) sharing eight wickets among them as they never allowed Afghanistan to get going in the first 15 overs.

The Afghans slipped to 50/4 and then to 89/5 in the 23rd over. They never recovered from there. Rahmat Shah played a lone hand with a 92-ball 90 while Rashid Khan (18) and Azmatullah Omarzai (18) were the second highest scorers for Afghanistan who were never in the game after conceding a big total. Ngidi set the pace when he got rid of danger man Rehmanullah Gurbaz in the fourth over for 10 when the batsman couldn’t play down a short ball which got big on him and Maharaj took a fine catch at short leg. “Clinical performance. We got the rub of the green wth the toss but it was a brave decision to bat first not knowing how it would play,” said Bavuma.

Brief scores: South Africa: 315/6 in 50 overs (Rickelton 103, Bavuma 58, Markram 52*; Nabi 2/51); Afghanistan: 208 all out in 43.3 overs (Rahmat 90; Ngidi 2/56, Rabada 3/36, Mulder 2/36).